New York
Opened: April 2016
“Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto beautifully integrates Japanese and American cuisines at his acclaimed Morimoto restaurants in New York, Napa, Waikiki and other destinations. Now, however, he’s going casual with Momosan (that’s Morimoto’s nickname in the kitchen), a ramen-and-apps joint in New York’s Murray Hill neighborhood. The small plates include items like Tetsunabe Gyoza with pork and chives served on an iron skillet with scallion ginger sauce; Chashu Salad with pork chashu, romaine, cucumber and spicy garlic sauce; Peking Duck Tacos with cucumber, hoisin, apricot sweet chili sauce and wrapped in crispy gyoza skin; oven-roasted Tetsunabe Kurobuta Sausage served in an iron skillet with garlic and sake; Yaki Salmon with harasu, kama and karamiso; and braised pork belly Kakuni Bao (shown). The 60-seat space is modern and relaxed with exposed brick walls, dark wood tables and a ceiling that’s lined with the bottoms of deck brooms, suggesting boxed ramen noodles.